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Barbara Walters: ’20/20’ Isn’t The ‘News Magazine That It Was’

Barbara Walters believes that 20/20 isn’t the news magazine that it was 25 years ago.

The award-winning journalist discussed a number of topics during her recent interview with Fox News’ Howie Kurtz. The chat is currently scheduled to air on MediaBuzz this Sunday (November 3). Be sure to tune in for the entire interview.

In addition to discussing the controversy surrounding Jenny McCarthy’s stint on The View, Barbara Walters took a moment to share her thoughts on the current state of 20/20. In her opinion, the news program isn’t the same show she remembers from back in the day.

Walters said of the long-running television program:

“’20/20′ now is not the news magazine that it was. It’s very popular but it’s much more theme and crime oriented, and so the news magazine per se doesn’t exist. So that the kinds of interviews I did, I would probably put them on Good Morning America. We don’t have the same programs and we don’t have the same need for those in-depth political interviews that we used to have.”

After 25 years as an anchor on 20/20, Barbara Walters parted ways with the show back in 2004. Judging from her comments, she has absolutely no regrets about walking away.

The journalist also took a moment to address the criticisms surrounding Jenny McCarthy and her recent addition to The View. Barbara Walters thinks a lot of the controversy started from people who had personal issues with McCarthy and her views on vaccinations.

“I think the criticism about her was unfair and it was criticism that had to do with very personal views. I think it was at the root of some of the criticism. It’s not a subject that we have discussed on ‘The View,'” Walters told Kurtz.

Rumors surfaced earlier this month that Jenny McCarthy was in danger of losing her spot on the daytime talk show just weeks after her debut. A source close to the production told Radar Online that viewers were tuning out in record numbers.

“ABC has begun doing deep research on Jenny’s work on the show and the initial findings are that viewers want to tune out the second she opens her mouth!” the insider dished.

Despite these reports, an ABC spokesperson reached out to The Wrap to clear the air. Not surprisingly, the network explained that these rumors were completely unsubstantiated. In fact, the network’s research into Jenny McCarthy’s popularity suggested the exact opposite.